POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13852, 11 September 1908, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

THEFT OF A MAIL. BAG.*

A CURIOUS CASE.

The story of how a mail bag, the property of the New Zealand Government, containing the Taupiri mail for Auckland, -went astray, is to be told in the Police Courtnext week. There were some short formal procedings yesterday, when a tall, elderly man named William Francis Wilkinson, appeared on the charge of having, on Monday last, stolen the mail big in question, containing letters, papers, and stamps to the value of £12. Chief-Detective Marsack informed the justices of the peace, Mr. W. Morgan and Mr, C. P. Murdoch, that a. remand would be necessary, as a great many witnesses who had letters in the. bag would need to be called. The remand was granted, and the. case will come on for hearing on Friday next. The mail bag, it would appear, went astray either at Auckland station or or, the way to the post office, after arrival by the eight o'clock evening train. The bag, emptied of its contents, was afterwards found in the vicinity of the railway station, and inquiries as to the disposal of the stamps led to the arrest of Wilkinson on Wednesday. ASSAULT IN QUEEN-STREET. A salutary punishment fell to the lot of Peter Whitman, a man of about 25. He attempted to enter a restaurant in Queenstreet, bub the proprieor, Mr. Melville, was at the door, and observing that Whitman was intoxicated asked him to go elsewhere. Whitman then attacked him, and when the policeman came on the scene Mr. Melville was bleeding from the mouth. Sergeant Hendry stated that Whitman had been fined some three weeks ago for a similar offence, but on that occasion he assaulted a policeman while in a state of intoxication. Whitman, who pleaded that he remembered nothing about the affair, was sent to gaol for two months, with hard labour. VAGRANCY CHARGE. A girl, Harriet Baker, was ordered three months' imprisonment as a rogue and a vagabond. The polico gave her a bad character, and there were previous convictions down against her name. BY-LAW OFFENCES. Edward Turner, a hawker, of 19 years' standing in Auckland, was one of the halfdoxen people summoned for by-law offences. He was found standing with his barrow, containing a selection of fish, in Karangaliapo Road. Hawkers are prohibited ny i law from standing in public thoroughfares I in the city boundaries, unless actually at- ; tending to buyers. If Turner had moved | just a few yards along into New North Road he would have been outside the city's confines and safo to rest at his ease. As it was, ho had to pay a shilling and cost*. Richard Cliff was fined ids and costs for leaving his vehicle in Karangahape Road without having first chained the wheel. Joseph Thomas was fined 5s and costs for leaving his cart unattended. John Masters was ordered to pay 5s and costs for having allowed his chimney to go unswept until it caught fire. At, the quarterly meeting of the City Licensing Committee it was announced that proceedings were pending against the proprietors of certain hotels, including the British Hotel, for alleged Sunday trading. The announcement so far as the British Hotel is concerned was a mistake.